AMC Renews “The Walking Dead” for a Fifth Season

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC(NEW YORK) -- The Walking Dead will live on for at least one more season. To virtually no one's surprise, AMC has renewed its hit drama for a fifth season.

Charlie Collier, the president of AMC, says in a statement, “We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: The Walking Dead is renewed for a fifth season. This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast."

The Walking Dead began its fourth season earlier this month to a huge audience. The season premiere was seen by a series-record total of 20.2 million viewers, including encore and DVR viewings.

AMC announced in September it is developing a Walking Dead companion series that will debut sometime in 2015.